The Heroes
by opensecret
Summary: "They were all just children, really." Touko's outlook on the other heroes at a get-together. One-Shot


**A/N: I haven't read the manga or seen any of the anime with these characters in it, so their personalities won't match up what you might think they actually are supposed to be.** **Sorry!**

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><p><strong>The Heroes<strong>

Red is silent and mysterious and there is a dark undertone in his eyes of some long lost story. He is the hero of the party, the first, the one that everyone glances at and points and whispers about, and though he probably notices it all, he just sticks to Green's side and doesn't say a word about it, just smiles with intelligent eyes. The tales of his exploits, his adventures, have been blown so grossly out of proportion that he _must_ find it amusing.

He was the first and she the last, so it's natural that they are drawn to each other. She is drawn to his power and mystery and fame and silence as only a teenage girl could be, because he's so _interesting_, like a puzzle (and oh how she's discovered that she likes puzzles). Touko isn't sure what draws him to her, but maybe it's the fact that she's older than some of them and her story is the grandest and there are whispers that she's the strongest next to Red (she does, after all, have a legendary on her team). Or maybe it's just that she's shiny and fresh, the new toy for all of them to stare at.

But when he comes up to her and asks her something (she forgets what, she tries to grasp at what words his mouth had formed but she'll never remember), with a small smile and a cock of his head, she is only able to form a startled, "You can talk?" It's rude and presumptuous and assuming but he just grins and nods, and she realizes he's not the type to waste breath on unneeded words, that's all.

He's so _great_.

He's just a boy.

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><p>Green is different, perhaps the opposite of his rival. He's not quite as famous but he's still <em>famous<em>, forever to have the title of one of the strongest and cruelest (not many get through him) gym leaders. Indigo Plateau has had a shortage of trainers, and that's thanks to the loud, enigmatic, and brash Green.

But he's forever haunted by the fact that he'll never be stronger than his rival, never quite match up – Touko's heard the stories.

He makes his way around to everyone, so she only braces herself and waits for the moment when he'll reach her, bragging and complimenting only himself and smirking down at her (she's also seen the pictures).

He's famous for his good looks, famous for how he had always been one step ahead of Red and always gotten beaten down, famous for that one time when he trekked up to Mt. Silver to scream and curse at Red until his throat was hoarse for leaving them (he, Leaf) behind.

When he finally comes to say hello to her (no introductions, for they all know each other, here), she just smiles and nods in a hello.

And as he speaks, she realizes that she had him quite wrong.

She knows that he was rude and immature at one point in his life, but it seems to have washed away, replaced with an assuredness, a confidence that is not unattractive. He is intelligent and asks her things that no one's asked her - he knows she'll answer - and she does, with no reserve.

He's charismatic – but she can see the darkness in his eyes, the I've seen things that no one else has seen.

Viridian's a tough town. Kids go in the forests, and its up to the gym leader to drag their carcasses out, because the police don't help. It's up to the gym leader to knock on the door of that parent (I'm sorry it was poison his Pokemon is dead too I'm so sorry he was too young).

What were they thinking, sending their children out in the world with a little Caterpie to help and nothing else?

They are the heroes, they are the ones that make the children want to go out in the world and train and become masters, they are the ones who come on TV and make the little boys and girls smile and point and say that's what I want to be when I grow up, they are the ones who parents curse and hate.

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><p>Leaf is the glue. She is the popular one, the life of the party; she laughs and tells jokes and is outgoing and kind. There is jealousy, too, from some of the other girls – for two of the most famous boys at the party hang on both of her arms. Green and Red stick to her side as if she keeps them together, and its clear that she does.<p>

Touko has read the tabloids, how after Red disappeared Leaf did, too, leaving Green behind, alone – how when she returned only Green was there and she cried and cried and cried and trekked up to Mt. Silver, nearly died in the process – how she didn't quite make it to the top, how Green then went to see Red to scream at him and curse him and hate him.

And then Red came down from that unattainably high mountaintop, and they were together again, for the first time in many years.

Leaf laughs, her eyes sparkle, and no one quite knows where she went when she disappeared except for perhaps Green and Red, but when she came back her eyes were a little dimmer and she had that need to have either Green or Red always at her side.

Green's hand stays in Leaf's for the majority of the party, and there are some jealous looks – and it is Leaf who drinks the most and gets a little out of hand, but it is Green who pulls her outside with a polite smile and returns when she has calmed down.

There's some kind of bond between the three that Touko isn't sure even she and Cheren and Bianca could understand – not that they aren't the best of friends, because they _are_ – but the trio from Kanto know each other's darkest secrets, darkest ambitions, darkest thoughts.

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><p>Lyra drags Silver around like he's an accessory, and through Silver's scowls and frowns and angry glares, Touko can see a fondness that he has for the girl, and she knows that they started out enemies, like her and N. Lyra tells her their story with an energetic grin, her pigtails bouncing around with her enthusiasm, and Touko can't help but laugh. There is so much innocence, so much playfulness, that she can't believe that this is the girl who made it through two gym circuits and beat Lance and Green and then climbed Mt. Silver and nearly, <em>nearly<em> beat Red.

Lyra, the second trainer to defeat Team Rocket, does not leave Silver's side as if she's afraid he just may disappear. He acts like this annoys him, but Touko can tell that it doesn't. He seems to hold on to her tightly, too, like she might float away into his dreams.

Lyra doesn't seem to have demons – or maybe she is just especially good at hiding them. But the way she and Silver stick to one another seems to have an untold story to it.

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><p>May and Brendan are quieter, more subdued. She's heard the stories of them racing across the raging seas to reach Rayquaza so that it may stop the warring of Kyogre and Groudon, how they climbed that tower and how the dragon seemed to just <em>know<em>.

They had been eleven, clinging to the backs of their pokemon, being buffeted around like they were nothing, weightless. The rest of the region, the adults and Elite Four and gym leaders, had been hiding in bunkers to escape the torrents. Eleven years old.

Their friend, Wally, died a few years ago of a disease. Neither had been in the region.

They don't laugh loudly at Leaf's jokes like the others, they just smile, hands clasped neatly in their laps. They don't tell stories of their travels with gusto and proud, puffed out chests like the others, they simply say, "We beat Team Magma and Team Aqua." And that's it.

Touko wonders what happened on that tower.

She wonders if they regret not being by Wally's side, not looking for him, not asking him to stay. Just letting him fly away.

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><p>Dawn and Barry push each other aside to tell their stories, each trying to say the most exciting parts first, fighting for dominance. They are insane, crazy, laughing and shouting and racing. They both act as if life is about to pass them by, and if they don't take it by the horns and ride it right <em>now<em> it might get away from them.

Dawn in particular seems scarred by what she has seen; the hundreds of Magikarp flopping uselessly on the ground, the three mystical Pokemon being tortured for Cyrus' twisted ideas. She cries when she tells this part of the story, and Barry keeps his eyes on the ground and does not look up until Dawn finishes.

What happened on Sky Pillar is up to speculation. Dawn and Barry don't speak of it and they skip over that part of the story rather quickly, Cynthia has chosen to keep quiet, and Team Galactic is gone. All that anyone knows is that three great Pokemon appeared up there that day and Dawn battled one in a different world and Barry left her behind to handle Cyrus by herself.

But there is nothing to suggest that a grudge is held, for the two laugh and play like children. And they are children, really.

But they are children who have seen more than most adults.

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><p>Touko's a flirt. She flirts with Red shamelessly and she flirts with Green when Leaf isn't looking and she flirts with Barry by laughing at his exuberance (though Brendan intimidates her, she leaves him alone). She doesn't know what brought this on (because every flaw has been caused by something, right?) but it isn't until tonight that she notices. She wasn't always like this.<p>

And maybe its loneliness, maybe the reason that Red identifies with her is because they both have no one (Leaf is glued to Green's hand, Cheren and Bianca have each other, and she doesn't know where the hell N is); they are both lonely. It is made more apparent when they must pair up for the double battle tournament; Touko has no one and as she watches everyone instantly attaches themselves to their partner, she must stand and look around and finally she and Red's eyes meet and they nod.

She's had too many near death experiences for a girl of sixteen. On top of Dragonspiral Tower when seeing N call forth Reshiram, at the castle battling N, and then battling Ghetsis and thinking Oh God if I lose he's going to kill me he'll really kill me will N let him will he be able to stop him?

Unova made the age restriction for trainers older to protect them. But nothing was there to protect her. Just Cheren and Bianca, who were just like her and needed protecting, too.

She had fought to save the world. But why? Why couldn't Red have flown to Unova on the back of his Charizard and helped her? Why couldn't the heroes of other regions and the other Champions have helped her?

Why has saving the world fallen in the hands of children so many times?

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><p><strong>AN: Written out of sheer boredom. For those of you who read this because you read This is War, I have good news (and for those of you who didn't read this for that, there's no need to read the following message) I'm working on my next B/V fic! I have the majority of it planned out and three chapters written, but I'm sort of frustratingly stuck on the beginning, and I'm not positive how the end is going to pan out, either. I'm trying to introduce the characters and establish relationships and make readers like them but I'm TERRIBLE at that stuff! Which really isn't good. But I'll hopefully have it figured out soon!**


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